Published: Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 11:20 p.m.

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It is a sweet memory the couple has of the day in December when they exchanged vows, but the documented reminder was blown away with everything else they owned when the April 27 tornado tore through their home in Happy Hollow.

That picture and one of Jackie and Kathy Niblett’s wedding cake were among many in an album inside the couple’s home, but the two loose pictures were found Friday when a group from Honda worked in the area as part of the United Way’s Day of Action.

“This is a great thing for these people to do,” Kathy Niblett said of the 120 or so Honda employees who were in the Happy Hollow area on Friday.

The Honda workers were joined by the volunteers with United Way, Salvation Army, Alabama Department of Public Health, UPS, All Task Contracting, Etowah County Commission and the Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency.

The volunteers moved large pieces of debris and walked the woods, searching for anything that might be salvaged.

Greg Sims of All Task Contracting brought excavators and a dump truck.

“We thought we could help speed the process to keep everything from being such hard labor,” Sims said.

Not too far from the site where the Niblett’s ranch-style house once stood, the wedding pictures were found.

Kathy said she wasn’t sure any of their things would be found. She said in the days after the tornado hit, a woman who lives about 15 miles on the other side of Rome, Ga., mailed the Nibletts a bank statement she found.

The Nibletts have been together for 30 years, but just married in December, Kathy Niblett said.

She said they moved to the Happy Hollow area from Florida in 2006 to escape hurricanes. The following year, the log house they built in Happy Hollow was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire.

When the tornado hit, they weren’t home.

“A tornado is worse than a fire,” she said. “With a fire, it’s just gone, and you know it’s gone. With a tornado, it’s a mess, and it’s just scattered everywhere. I’m just thankful we weren’t here when it hit.”

They built a ranch-style house in the same spot, but plan to build a new house several yards away, near where their barn stood before the tornado.

“Thank God we had insurance this time,” she said. “But we’re not going to build this one in the exact same spot.”

Mike and Marsha Marshall were home when the tornado destroyed their log cabin home just down the road from the Nibletts. They were seriously injured.

While searching through the mounds of debris still at the Marshall home, someone found Mike Marshall’s wallet — in the same shape in which he last saw it.

“We’ve been in the hospital and we haven’t been able to do anything on our own,” Marshall said. “It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do today. We couldn’t ever have gotten this done by ourselves. They haven’t been here half a day, and they’ve done an amazing job.”

Clint Ramer of Glencoe works at Honda, and he and Marshall once worked together at EMCO. He had no idea the Marshalls’ home would be one of the places he and his co-workers would spend their day.

“We’re just glad to be a part of this,” he said.

Honda has been short of parts since a tsunami hit Japan in March. The company has paid employees who come in on Mondays and Fridays as the groups have volunteered in several tornado-stricken areas.

“It’s turned out to be a pretty good thing,” Ramer said. “This devastation is terrible.”

Susan Carter, director for 211/First Call For Help, said the work at Happy Hollow is twofold. It was done as part of United Way’s Day of Action, but she said the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, of which she is chairwoman, also has been active in the tornado recovery.

She said the Day of Action is done one day each year, but with the devastation this year from the tornado, there is much more work to be done.

“We’ve done a lot today,” she said Friday. “We still have a lot more to do. There has been a big dent made in the debris removal.”

She said through VOAD, more workdays in tornado-stricken areas can be planned if church groups or other organizations want to help.

Mike Bryant, director of the Gadsden-Etowah EMA, said he is thankful there was such a good turnout in the Happy Hollow area.

“I really appreciate what Honda and everyone else has done for this community and many other communities,” he said. “I think it will be a good thing for the people in the area to have so much of the debris removed. It’ll make it a little easier driving through the area and make it a little easier to look at.”

For more information about helping in the area, call Carter, 256-546-HELP.

<p>Kathy Niblett is kissing her husband's cheek in the picture made on their wedding day.</p><p>It is a sweet memory the couple has of the day in December when they exchanged vows, but the documented reminder was blown away with everything else they owned when the April 27 tornado tore through their home in Happy Hollow.</p><p>That picture and one of Jackie and Kathy Niblett's wedding cake were among many in an album inside the couple's home, but the two loose pictures were found Friday when a group from Honda worked in the area as part of the United Way's Day of Action.</p><p>“This is a great thing for these people to do,” Kathy Niblett said of the 120 or so Honda employees who were in the Happy Hollow area on Friday.</p><p>The Honda workers were joined by the volunteers with United Way, Salvation Army, Alabama Department of Public Health, UPS, All Task Contracting, <a href="http://www.gadsdentimes.com/etowahcommisssion"><b>Etowah County Commission</b></a> and the Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency.</p><p>The volunteers moved large pieces of debris and walked the woods, searching for anything that might be salvaged.</p><p>Greg Sims of All Task Contracting brought excavators and a dump truck.</p><p>“We thought we could help speed the process to keep everything from being such hard labor,” Sims said.</p><p>Not too far from the site where the Niblett's ranch-style house once stood, the wedding pictures were found.</p><p>Kathy said she wasn't sure any of their things would be found. She said in the days after the tornado hit, a woman who lives about 15 miles on the other side of Rome, Ga., mailed the Nibletts a bank statement she found.</p><p>The Nibletts have been together for 30 years, but just married in December, Kathy Niblett said.</p><p>She said they moved to the Happy Hollow area from Florida in 2006 to escape hurricanes. The following year, the log house they built in Happy Hollow was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire.</p><p>When the tornado hit, they weren't home. </p><p>“A tornado is worse than a fire,” she said. “With a fire, it's just gone, and you know it's gone. With a tornado, it's a mess, and it's just scattered everywhere. I'm just thankful we weren't here when it hit.”</p><p>They built a ranch-style house in the same spot, but plan to build a new house several yards away, near where their barn stood before the tornado.</p><p>“Thank God we had insurance this time,” she said. “But we're not going to build this one in the exact same spot.”</p><p>Mike and Marsha Marshall were home when the tornado destroyed their log cabin home just down the road from the Nibletts. They were seriously injured.</p><p>While searching through the mounds of debris still at the Marshall home, someone found Mike Marshall's wallet — in the same shape in which he last saw it.</p><p>“We've been in the hospital and we haven't been able to do anything on our own,” Marshall said. “It's amazing what they've been able to do today. We couldn't ever have gotten this done by ourselves. They haven't been here half a day, and they've done an amazing job.”</p><p>Clint Ramer of Glencoe works at Honda, and he and Marshall once worked together at EMCO. He had no idea the Marshalls' home would be one of the places he and his co-workers would spend their day.</p><p>“We're just glad to be a part of this,” he said.</p><p>Honda has been short of parts since a tsunami hit Japan in March. The company has paid employees who come in on Mondays and Fridays as the groups have volunteered in several tornado-stricken areas.</p><p>“It's turned out to be a pretty good thing,” Ramer said. “This devastation is terrible.”</p><p>Susan Carter, director for 211/First Call For Help, said the work at Happy Hollow is twofold. It was done as part of United Way's Day of Action, but she said the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, of which she is chairwoman, also has been active in the tornado recovery.</p><p>She said the Day of Action is done one day each year, but with the devastation this year from the tornado, there is much more work to be done.</p><p>“We've done a lot today,” she said Friday. “We still have a lot more to do. There has been a big dent made in the debris removal.”</p><p>She said through VOAD, more workdays in tornado-stricken areas can be planned if church groups or other organizations want to help.</p><p>Mike Bryant, director of the Gadsden-Etowah EMA, said he is thankful there was such a good turnout in the Happy Hollow area.</p><p>“I really appreciate what Honda and everyone else has done for this community and many other communities,” he said. “I think it will be a good thing for the people in the area to have so much of the debris removed. It'll make it a little easier driving through the area and make it a little easier to look at.”</p><p>For more information about helping in the area, call Carter, 256-546-HELP.</p>